Grunewaldturm

– © BTM Koch

The Grunewald Tower on the River Havel offers a spectacular view of the idylllic Havel landscape. This red-brick building was erected in 1897, to mark the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Building costs were covered by the municipality of Teltow, just south of Berlin, for this monumental construction was designed to express the gratitude of the people of Brandenburg towards their ruler. Originally, they named it "the King Wilhelm Tower", but when the tower was inaugurated, Wilhelm discreetly corrected them: in his telegram of congratulations, he referred to the building as "the Kaiser Wilhelm Tower"…
The tower was designed by the government building officer, Franz Schwechten. In the upper part of the building, there is a domed hall with a marble statue commemorating Wilhelm I. A total of 204 steps lead to an observation platform, which offers a panoramic view of the Havel landscape.